From occasional tobacco use to nicotine addiction
Introduction. The occasional consumption of nicotine can generate a dependency or addiction, being detectable through changes in neurobiological mechanisms. Objective. Contextualize from consumption to addiction and theoretically identify the neurobiological mechanism of transition from regular tobacco use to nicotine addiction. Methodology. A search for articles in English and Spanish was carried out using different databases and combinations of keywords, articles that described the characteristics of the neurobiological processes involved in the use or intermittent consumption of tobacco and nicotine addiction were selected. as the main theme. Results. The number of investigations related to this topic is reduced, even more in relation to the description of the processes and neural changes of nicotine addiction. Drug addiction is a complex neurobehavioral process that alters the
circuits of the motivation-reward system of the brain, due to the decrease in dopamine and the affectation in the regulation of glutamate in the basal ganglia and extension of the amygdala is associated with the craving, anticipation, and deficits in executive function. Conclusions. Tobacco is considered a legal drug, so its consumption seems to be harmless. However, the evidence shows that its long-term consumption has serious consequences on the health of individuals. Understanding how occasional smoking changes to chronic use makes us more aware of adaptations in the brain.
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